I'm spoiling you again. I would like to take a moment to say thank you all for your reviews, they keep me going! And so many favorites! I can't believe it! Thank you all so much! Enjoy!


Chapter 8: Snape's Office

That evening, Lavinia made her way down to Snape's office. She was exhausted, and all she wanted to do was work on a potion or do some homework in peace. She'd been the laughingstock of the entire school today. She wasn't really affected by their words; it didn't take a genius to figure out she was hated. It was just wearing, and she was certain that she could look forward to several more years of it.

A group of Gryffindors had accosted her on her way to Transfiguration, teasing her about her knickers. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked on, most just passing by. She finally just pushed them out of her way. They were making her late for class.

The Slytherins had been as horrible as ever. A fourth year named Benjamin Davis had sent a gust of wind up her skirt, exposing her knickers again in the middle of the hall. Fortunately, Professor Flitwick caught him and took thirty points from Slytherin. Lavinia sent him a silent thanks. She followed him into the classroom and took her seat, setting up her books as a barrier around her. Marcus Flint, a big, rather ugly fifth year, had knocked her down in the hallway, causing her to hit her head on a statue of a humpbacked witch and nearly lose consciousness.

She ate dinner quickly that evening, sitting up by the teachers table, staying as close to Professor Snape as humanly possible. She'd met his eyes as she sat down, and he'd nodded in understanding. He too, ate quickly. She left the Slytherin table only moments after he'd disappeared down the corridor to the dungeons.

When she'd reached his office, she sighed in relief, walking through the door the Professor had left open for her and shutting it behind her. She slumped down in the nearest chair and dropped her bag, then rubbed her eyes tiredly. Snape came up behind her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Lavinia nodded. "Yes, sir. Just tired, really." Professor Snape eyed her suspiciously, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. He released her shoulder and strode over to his desk.

"For your so-called detention tonight, you can either do your homework or assist me in the lab," he said, gathering a few pieces of parchment.

"Homework, this time. I'm too shaky for cutting and skinning, I think," she replied, pulling her Transfiguration essay out of her bag. Snape nodded and disappeared into the lab, telling her to stay as long as she wanted; it was, after all, a detention.

She re-read the finished portion of her essay to recapture her train of thought and set to work. It didn't take her long to finish, and once she had put it aside, she took a moment to relax. She rested her head against the back of the chair and simply enjoyed the warmth of the fire on her skin. Feeling the aches and pains in her body from the past few days, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial of a light green potion. She drank it down and the aches and pains began to ebb. She needed to make more.

Her mind seized on the process of the potion, and suddenly she felt the desire to join the Professor in the lab. She got up, crossed the room, and knocked softly on the door. He opened it a moment later, allowing her in silently. He pointed at the beetles he'd been grinding and she took over, glancing at the recipe for instructions. They worked together in silence for a while, then Snape told her that the brew needed to simmer for a while. They went back to the office and sat down, Snape at his desk, Lavinia back in front of the fire. Snape pulled a stack of papers towards him and Lavinia pulled out her History of Magic essay. It was due tomorrow, and she hadn't quite finished it yet.

An hour later, they'd converged back in the lab to start the second part of the potion. Lavinia skinned some type of dark, sappy bark off of a large stick while the Professor added other ingredients. Thirty more minutes, and the potion was complete. The Professor thanked Lavinia for her help. She noted the time and wondered if the other Slytherins had gone to bed yet. Hesitantly, she packed up her things. The Professor sighed. He wasn't sure why this girl's plight affected him so much, except that she was so much different from most children, and perhaps, because she belonged in Slytherin more than most. He placed his hand on her shoulder again and escorted her back to the common room. He scanned the room when the door opened, noting that the common room was nearly empty. One girl sat by the fire. Lavinia, too, looked around.

"I think I'm safe. She never bothers me. She just kinda ignores it," she said. She bade him goodnight and he bade her good luck. She disappeared into the common room and he departed for his chambers.

XXXXXXX

"So you're the Mudblood, huh?" said the girl by the fire. Lavinia jumped, hand flying to her wand. The girl stood. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, kid," she said, hands up to show she wasn't holding a wand. She was tall and curvy, with short, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Upon closer inspection, Lavinia noticed several light criss crossed scars across her left cheek. "Look, I don't really like how they treat you. I'd help if I could, but there's nothing I can really do about it. But I can offer you a piece of advice. Fight back. Don't just let things happen, kid, or they're gonna ride you till they kill you." The girl placed her hand on Lavinia's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, kid. I wish I could be more help. My name's Mischa Prewett, by the way. You're Lavinia, right?"

Lavinia nodded. "Thanks, Mischa," she said softly. Mischa patter her shoulder and made her way down to her dormitory. Lavinia snuck quietly into her own bed and released the silent tears that she'd been fighting all day.

XXXXXXX

The following week had been about the same. Stale jokes about her knickers stuck around for the entire week. No one tried to stop it, although Lavinia had caught Mishca looking at her sadly a couple of times. The only relief she got was in Snape's office, where she helped him brew potions or did her homework until midnight, each night being escorted back to the common room by the Professor. Mischa was by the fire each night, watching her with sorrowful eyes. Sometimes she spoke; others, she just gazed at her with a sad smile.

Over the weekend, which she again spent serving her "detentions", Lavinia had taken to trying to identify the items in the jars on Professor Snape's shelves, a game she rather enjoyed. The Professor found himself mildly amused by her attempts at first, then impressed. She was a fast learner, for sure. It further strengthened his theory that the only reason behind her difficulty in erecting wards was her age.

On Monday evening, she asked the Professor if she could brew some more healing and Shield potions. The Professor nodded, standing and opening the door to his lab. She'd smiled brilliantly and stepped through. He followed her, pulling a book off the shelf and offering it to her.

"I found this the other night in my chamber. You might find it useful," he told her. She looked at the cover. Book of Remedies. It was a book filled with potions and spells to heal basic magical injuries. "Keep it, I have no use for it," the Professor murmured. Lavinia was delighted, and even made a small joke about how she wouldn't be able to lift her trunk on the way home for all the wonderful books. This sparked a discussion about how to make things magically lighter or smaller, to make traveling easier. Lavinia brewed as Professor Snape went over a few charms, finally pulling out yet another textbook.

Time spent in Snape's office was the closest thing to peace Lavinia saw at school. She slept little, fearing the girls in her dormitory and often being awakened by loud screeches of "Mudblood!" and "Freak!" Mischa looked on, occasionally walking beside her silently through the corridors, keeping the nastier spells from being uttered. One afternoon, as Lavinia entered the Charms classroom, Mishca said goodbye, a thoughtful expression on her face. Lavinia didn't dwell upon it too much. She appreciated Mischa's gesture, but didn't expect anything more.

Detentions came to an end, but Lavinia continued to spend her evenings in Professor Snape's office. Sometimes, they simply sat and did their work. Other times, they brewed. Sadly, as she was no longer in detention, she could no longer stay until everyone else was asleep. At promptly nine each evening, the Professor would escort her back to the common room. Some nights, the Slytherins would just call her names. There were a few blissful evenings where she had the pleasure of being ignored. But there were a few nights were the Slytherins were feeling meaner.

One evening found her crawling back over to her bag and pulling out one of the darker green vials of potion, which was a heavier medicine, and drinking it down. Her right leg had been twisted until it had not only cracked, but the flesh was torn open to reveal the shards of bone. She reached again in her bag for the purple bottle of foul tasting Skele-Gro she had just brewed. Perfect timing, she thought bitterly as she knocked it back. She vaguely heard Mischa admonish Malcolm ("Come on, mate, she's eleven! Take it easy on the chit, or you're gonna kill her!") and Malcolm's mumbled reply. She propped herself into her chair and pulled out another book, trying her best not to show how much pain she was in. Her mother's voice sounded in her head. No matter how uncomfortable you are in this corset, my daughter, you must never show it. You will get used to it. The thought nearly made her laugh.

Some time later, she looked up from her History of Magic textbook to find Mischa staring at her thoughtfully again. She raised an eyebrow (in an unconscious gesture that imitated Professor Snape rather well,) and turned back to her book. She put Mischa from her mind and continued her paper.


Mischa is based off of my dear friend Brynn :) Lissy, btw, is based off of my dear friend, Susie. And Professor Dugnet is based off of my friend Reid. Yes. My dearest friends and loved ones will all have a part to play in this tragedy. All of you. I love you all. XD